Tessa Cooper Email & Phone Number

Johannesburg, Gp, Za

Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

I am responsible for the management of the SADC-TWIX law enforcement information-sharing platform, as mandated by the SADC Secretariat. This includes technical management, expansion of the SADC-TWIX network, coordinating and facilitating training events and workshops, and engagement with key stakeholders on relevant CITES-related issues, including representation of SADC-TWIX in national and regional fora.

Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

I was responsible for TRAFFIC's outcomes in a multi-consultancy project to develop a transboundary, trans-agency wildlife crime law-enforcement framework for the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), in addition to aiding in the implementation of other projects in the KAZA TFCA Partner States. My role included legislation analysis, wildlife and timber crime research and analysis, report production, planning and overseeing workshops and capacity building, presentation of recommended actions to government working groups, collaboration with the various KAZA governance mechanisms and stakeholders, and proposal development. In 2021 and 2022 I worked with the KAZA Secretariat on the development of and training of focal points for a wildlife crime database and platform that allows visualization of wildlife crime data. In 2023 I contributed to the development of a first-of-its-kind wildlife ranger operations room and intelligence analysis training course, and was one of the trainers at the inaugural course in October 2023. In 2024 I helped organize a tri-nation interagency workshop on combating wildlife crime, and presented on wildlife crime to Angola's parliament.

Cape Town Area, South Africa

I tutored most subjects and grades, but specialized in Mathematics, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Geography) and English. I assisted in the editing of textbooks for the company, and the management of online help forums, as well as creating lesson plans and course material, and invigilating exams for home-schooled students.

South Africa

I was responsible for managing projects including product and course design and employee retention. During my time in this position, I:- Managed an online user database and portal for more than 5000 users, including maintenance, onboarding users, deactivating users, database security, liaising with service providers, and regular communications with users. - Designed the language boot camp program employed by BrightSparkz, wrote four of these courses myself and oversaw the creation of eight additional courses. - Oversaw 3 systems migrations in 4 years. - Managed all website edits, including the creation of more than 200 web pages; SEO, improving website visits by 160% in 3 years; social media and brand awareness, increasing audiences across all platforms, and sending more than 40 email campaigns; as well as writing 26 articles and posting an additional 44 blogs. - Oversaw recruitment activities country-wide, trained new recruitment officers and coordinated schools marketing, as well as performing HR duties in my role as recruitment manager. - Conducted more than 400 interviews.- Managed the courses site and uploaded all courses onto this using LearnDash.- Ran training workshops for various universities and schools.- Designed more than 1000 images and marketing materials.- Wrote numerous SOPs, policy documents and contracts.- Assisted in the setup of the Canadian branch.

I was responsible for recruitment and schools marketing across eight provinces, excluding Gauteng. During my time in this position, I:- Improved web page activity, blog activity and newsletter engagement through the use of SEO, MailChimp campaigns, effective campaign design and Wordpress management.- Increased recruitment by 60%, and interviews by 40% since 2016. - Developed the curriculum for an Afrikaans Boot Camp, including 31 lesson plans and more than 200 pages of material, as well as running the pilot program, training all staff and educators, and overseeing training and marketing activities for this programme.- Developed and managed an online resources site, utilized by all staff.- Trained staff and tutors, including training on statistical analysis, job duties and educational protocols.- Developed and managed onsite marketing and recruitment campaigns at schools and universities throughout Cape Town.

I conducted desktop-based research on non-timber forest products, as well as editing and formatting project documents.

Cape Town Area, South Africa

I conducted an ecosystem services assessment of the Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei wetlands using the Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-based Assessment (TESSA). I produced a technical report for use by BirdLife South Africa, after engaging various stakeholders and conducting community surveys and interviews, as well as analysis and comparison with the developed Intaka Island wetland.

Stellenbosch, South Africa

My duties included the demonstration of practical biology labs associated with current coursework and assisting students in carrying out said labs.

London, United Kingdom

During this internship I completed a research project on the application of a pan-European risk assessment framework to South African forest dependent birds. The results of this study were included in my Master's thesis, and were published in 2020.

Stellenbosch, South Africa

My duties included assisting postgraduate students with field- and lab work, capture and care of laboratory specimens including insects and amphibians, DNA sequencing, fly wing mapping, care of laboratory equipment and running of experiments.

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

My responsibilities included taking tourist groups on guided walks through the forest, primate husbandry, and administration.

Master’S Degree, Zoology

Master of Science thesis: The effects of land use change on the distribution of forest dependent birds in South Africa

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Conservation Ecology And Entomology

Activities and Societies: Golden Key International Honor SocietyBachelor of Science thesis: The historical biotic communities of Robben.

National Senior Certificate